The Hurtigruten cruise ship MS Spitsbergen will head from Norway to Russia’s White Sea in 2022.
Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten has introduced a brand new cruise to Russia’s White Sea in October 2022. The 17-day voyage from Bergen to the Solovetsky archipelago and Arkhangelsk will tour the Arctic islands that few vacationers get to see.
Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen stated the White Sea is a “dream vacation spot” that passengers have lengthy requested. It’s actually been a very long time within the planning. Hurtigruten talked of a cruise to the area as way back as 2007.
Expeditions past Norway
Hurtigruten remains to be greatest recognized amongst worldwide vacationers for its Norwegian coastal voyage, a 12-day roundtrip from Bergen to Kirkenes with many stops alongside the Norwegian shoreline.
However the expeditions arm of the corporate runs cruises to a few of the world’s most distant areas on specifically tailored ships. The brand new Russian itinerary comes quickly after the announcement of cruises to the Galapagos Islands and western Africa, additionally set for launch in 2022.
Russia’s “best-kept secret”
Russia’s White Sea area could be unfamiliar to these comparatively new to cruising, but it surely was a preferred vacation spot amongst expedition cruise strains round 20 years in the past. Some Russian river cruise strains additionally provide excursions of the distant islands and historic villages.
Solovetsky Monastery in a UNESCO World Heritage Web site in Russia’s White Sea area.
Following departure from Bergen, the MS Spitsbergen will make a number of stops in Norway earlier than a cease within the maritime metropolis of Murmansk. The cruise will enter the White Sea area, spending a complete of 1 week in Russian waters earlier than returning to Tromsø in northern Norway.
Among the many highlights within the White Sea would be the metropolis of Arkhangelsk, as soon as an important seaport in Medieval Russia. So long as the climate cooperates, the ship will name at a standard village on the shoreline of the Kola peninsula. Passengers may also count on an affordable likelihood to see the northern lights, as October is without doubt one of the greatest instances of the yr to catch a show.
“Lastly, friends will now be capable of go to Russia’s best-kept secret, the White Sea, which only a few vacationers ever get to expertise,” stated Lassesen.
A deal with the expedition
Whereas comfy, Hurtigruten’s expedition vessels will not be luxurious cruise ships. The main target is squarely on the locations with a panorama lounge and a staff of expedition consultants to provide lectures, reply questions and lead excursions.
On the time of writing, Hurtigruten is providing the cruise from €6,290 ($7,400) per passenger based mostly on two folks sharing a cabin. Costs don’t embrace transport to/from Bergen or Tromsø, the beginning and finish factors of the voyage. With a passenger capability of 335, the MS Spitsbergen was refurbished in 2016 and now serves twin objective on the coastal cruise and as an expedition ship.